Shop
 Explore 

Kelly Clarkson correctly pronouncing a guest's name on her show seems simple but it speaks volumes

Viewers appreciated how respectfully Clarkson handled her interview with K-pop group TWICE when she asked performer Tzuyu how to properly pronounce her name.

kelly clarkson, twice

The Kelly Clarkson Show/Youtube

It really is as simply as that.

What’s in a name?

A lot, actually. We know that names reflect certain aspects of one’s identity. We know that repeated mispronunciation of a person’s name potentially undermines that identity. We know that sometimes this is unintentional, and other times, more insidious intentions of “othering” are at play. Especially when it comes to those with non-English names.

We also know that, on the flip side, making the effort to properly pronounce a person’s name is one of the simplest forms of kindness and respect that someone can offer. And it really pays dividends.

Just take a page from Kelly Clarkson’s book.

Clarkson recently had K-pop girl group TWICE on her show to perform their latest English single, "Moonlight Sunrise."

With the help of an onstage translator, Clarkson bonded with the group about starting their careers from reality TV—Clarkson from “American Idol,” and TWICE from South Korean TV show “Sixteen”.

During the interview, Clarkson made sure to personally address all nine members in the group—Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu—by their name.

Then, at one point, Clarkson checked with the translator to see if she was pronouncing Tzuyu’s name correctly.

Clarkson pronounced it the way many English-speaking fans did—”Tzoo-Yoo.” The translator explained that while that version is “good,” the Korean version is actually pronounced “Jjeu-Wee.” Almost resembling the word “chewy.”

The stark contrast between pronunciations at first threw the host a little. And after doing a lighthearted doubletake (“Wait, what?!”) Clarkson quickly decided to go straight to the source.

"How do you want me to say it?" she asked Tzuyu.

Tzuyu responded, "Jjeu-Wee."

In typical Kelly Clarkson fashion, she quipped, "How you say it is adorable! OK, so, Jjeu-Wee—I think I said it right, I'm trying," before moving on to talk more about their song.

It’s such a short exchange, but it made a huge impact. Those who watched online complemented Clarkson on her efforts to make her guests feel welcomed.

“I love that Kelly is trying so hard to pronounce her name and making them feel comfortable. And that was the closest she could get to correctly pronouncing Tzuyu in one day! I could barely pronounce it perfectly in a month so, congrats Kelly!” one person wrote.

Another added, “The way Kelly pronounced Tzuyu to cheewy and saying it's adorable you can feel she knows how to respect and entertain her guest even though there is a language barrier. We love you Kelly and Twice.”

Watch below:

Big thanks to Kelly for showing just how easy it is to offer this truly simple gesture. And within the span of 30 seconds, no less.

From Your Site Articles

Sweden’s landmark new proposal will stop the world from mixing it up with Switzerland

Honestly, do you know the difference?

True

After over a thousand years of peaceful relations, European semi-superpowers Sweden and Switzerland may finally address a lingering issue between the two nations. But the problem isn’t either country’s fault. The point is that the rest of the world can’t tell them apart. They simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish).

This confusion on the European continent has played out in countless ways.

Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange has fallen victim to the confusion, and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag.

Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)

Keep ReadingShow less

Father of the bride steals the show with his incredibly smooth dance moves

From the tootsie roll to the dougie, he nailed it all.

Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

The MC Hammer dance though.

Father and daughter dances are a traditional staple of weddings. They tend to range somewhere between tearfully sweet and hilariously cringey. But sometimes, as was the case of Brittany Revell and her dad Kelly, they can be so freakin’ cool that millions of people become captivated.

Brittany and Kelly’s video, which amassed, I kid you not, more than 40 million views on TikTok, shows the pair grooving in sneakers (Brittany’s were white because, hello, wedding dress) to their “dance through the decades.”

It all began with Young MC’s “Bust a Move,” to give you a clear picture. And bust a move, they did.

Though the duo did a handful of iconic moves—the tootsie roll, the MC Hammer dance, the Carlton, just to name a few—“the dougie,” made famous by Cali Swag District, was the obvious fan favorite.

Keep ReadingShow less

75-year-old ‘hip-hop granny’ impresses and inspires with her dance moves

Ms. Stephanie didn’t even start formal dance lessons until she was almost 30.

@fiercefitnessty/TikTok

Ms. Stephanie bringing it at her hip-hop class.

Stephanie Walsh isn't your average hip-hop dancer. At 75, "Ms. Stephanie" is still able to hold her own on the dance floor, popping and locking with people a third her age, and she loves it.

When you see her dance—and her enviable muscle tone—you might think she'd been a trained dancer all her life. But she actually didn't take any formal dance lessons until she was almost 30.

Walsh told Growing Bolder that she had wanted her daughter to dance when she was little, so she got her ballet lessons, which the daughter hated. Realizing that dancing was her dream and not her daughter's, Walsh took her kiddo out of ballet and started classes herself right away.

She had always loved to dance and developing her skills only led to more and more dancing.

Keep ReadingShow less

‘I feel good, so why stop?’ 91-year-old opens up a new barber shop.

Staying active is the key to a long life.

via Google

Bob Rohloff gives a haircut at his new barber shop.

The old saying goes, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life," and it’s true. When you love what you do, a job isn’t work at all. It can be as enjoyable as your favorite hobby while making money at the same time.

Loving what you do is also great for your health. Studies show that people who love their work live longer, and those who are constantly stressed at their jobs have a significantly higher risk of heart disease.

Bob Rohloff is a beautiful example of the benefits of having a job you love. At 91, he opened a new business, Bob’s Old Fashioned Barbershop, in Hortonville, Wisconsin.

Rohloff started cutting hair in 1948, and 60 years later, he retired with his wife, Marian, in Arizona, but it didn’t last long. After a few months, he “unretired” and went back to cutting hair. In 2010, the couple moved back to Wisconsin, and Rohloff cut hair at the Hortonville Family Barbershop.

Keep ReadingShow less

Watch a musician turn a basic drinking straw into an incredible medieval-sounding flute

Peter Bastian combined his training in physics and the bassoon to make this simple yet impressive instrument.

efepereth/YouTube

The sound Peter Bastian can pull from a straw is amazing.

Humans have been making music since before recorded history. Phoenix, Arizona's Musical Instrument Museum has over 4,200 musical instruments from around the world on display, and it's fascinating to see all the creative ways people have figured out how to make music over millennia. From turtle shell drums to animal bladder-based wind instruments, the ingenuity humans display in the pursuit of melody, harmony and rhythm is remarkable. It seems we can make music out of almost anything.

Case in point: Danish composer Peter Bastian's plastic straw flute.

When you hear that someone made a flute out of a straw, you might think, "Yeah, I've done that, too." But you've likely never seen one like this. Bastian played it like a double reed instrument, and it's surprisingly enjoyable to hear the sound he could pull out of it.

In this video, Bastian displays several different sounds and styles, which range from oboe-like to medieval flute to bagpipes, so be sure to watch to the end to get the full range. Watch:

"Here is an extraordinary example of the quality of the musician being more vital than the quality of the instrument. Outstanding contrast in timbre!" wrote on commenter on YouTube.

"Not only is it a straw, it's absolutely beautifully played, almost an oboe from nothing! Wonderful, I love the sound and the music," wrote another.

"In 1995 I sat a few meters from him in an auditorium at my music conservatory, listening to him playing on a straw," shared another. "It's hard to understand how Bastian could fill up the entire hall with such incredible resonance. And at the same time making it so beautiful."

According to IMDB, Bastion, who died in 2017, spent nine years studying physics but found himself increasingly drawn to music. Both of his parent were opera singers, and while he played multiple instruments, he primarily played bassoon and clarinet. His book, "Ind I Musikken" ("Into the Music" in English) became a bestseller and he was known for his passionate lectures on music—as well as the folk tunes played on his straw flute.

From Your Site Articles